Delayed
by Sarrabr4
Summary: Adam Ruzek is a detective and Kim Burgess is a flight attendant. What happens when they meet when the flight is delayed?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my imagination.**

**A/N: Alright so I can't stop. My brain throws idea my way that I can't NOT write them so here we are again. Adam Ruzek is an already established detective and Kim is a flight attendant. What happens when their paths cross? Will there be sparks or will this be a story of two ships passing by in the night?**

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Adam Ruzek was a detective in Homicide for the Chicago Police Department. It wasn't often that he had to fly out of town but this time had been to give a hand to a New York team for an investigation on a case that had gone cold in Chicago a while back only to have the same ammo but this time in the big apple. He moved through the terminal at O'Hare, a duffle bag slung over his shoulder and his ticket in his hand. He knew he was cutting it short but he hated having to wait and his badge often stopped most of the complaining from the airline staff. He made it to the gate as they made the last call and gave the woman his ticket.

"First time flying to New York?" She looked at him with a smile as she checked his boarding pass.

"Frequent flyer more like it." He smirked. His older sister Joy was in New York with her husband James and their four year old twins and he made it a point to visit them as often as possible.

"Enjoy your trip then." She handed him his passport and boarding pass back.

"Thanks." He gave her a crooked smile and walked through the gate. He quickly found his seat and sat down, the airstrip was his view for now. He closed his eyes and exhaled, ready to get in the air and in New York so he could help them solve this case that had given them so much trouble at home. Time seemed to stand still and Adam was starting to be restless. He opened his eyes and looked outside before he tried to see over the seats if something was wrong but there wasn't much movement ahead so he closed his eyes back up and waited as patiently as possible. Another ten minutes passed before he heard the clic of the overhead speakers and a male voice came through.

**We are sorry to inform you of a delay in lift-off due to some mechanical issue but we are working hard to get the problem fixed quickly so everyone can get to their destination as quickly and safely as possible.**

"Just what I need." He grumbled before closing his eyes again, hoping the issues would be resolved quickly.

"A pretty girl waiting for you at home son?" Adam couldn't help but smile at the older man sitting next to him as he opened his eyes.

"No sir, just a case that needs to be solved away from home."

"Ah, a police officer." He smiled kindly.

"Detective actually." He corrected the man.

"Impressive for a man so young." The man seemed willing to make conversation just to pass the time.

"Hard work pays off sir." Adam smiled. He had worked his ass off to be where he was and was indeed young to be an established detective a year shy of his thirties.

"That it does. It's nice to see that in young people nowadays."

"Thank you sir, and what about you?"

"Can I get you gentlemen anything while you wait?" Adam looked up where the voice was coming, interrupting the discussion he was having with the man seated next to him.

"No thank you dear." He patted her hand gently.

Adam was transfixed by the woman towering over them in their seat. She was wearing the customary navy blue pant suit with a crisp white shirt underneath and a powder blue tie. Her hair was brought up in a top bun and her smile was worth a million bucks.

"Sir, everything okay?" Her forehead creased slightly and her eyes changed from joyous to concerned.

"Yes, I'm sorry. I'll just take a water please." He shook his thoughts straight and looked at the name pinned on her chest, Kimberly.

"Here you go." She handed him the bottle and their fingers slightly touched, a spark zapping down his hand only to disappear at his elbow. "We're really sorry for the delay, if you need anything else, don't hesitate to press the call button." She smiled as she and Adam exchanged one last look and she pressed a gentle hand on the man's shoulder before she continued down the isle. Adam couldn't help but look behind him as the spark seemed to still tingle the tip of his fingers.

"Pretty woman isn't she?" The man next to him pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Huh?" He looked back at the man next to him.

"She's beautiful isn't she?" The man nudged him gently.

"Yes sir." He smiled politely but his brain was going into overdrive. He had never been one to date left and right and he had been in a serious relationship while at the academy but that hadn't lasted as he climbed up in the ranks, the nature of his job too much for her to handle. Since then it had never lasted more than a year but he was happy as was, focusing on his job rather than his personal relationships.

"Sometimes the best ones come unexpectedly." The man gave Adam a knowing glance and a pat on the knee.

"So I've been told." It was an old saying and Joy had been telling him the same thing for years as he still hadn't found anyone to share his life with. She had always wanted her baby brother to be happy and he kept insisting that he was. The overhead system clicked again and the same male voice came on.

**We're really sorry about the inconvenience but it is taking longer than we expected so we are going to proceed with the un-boarding of the flight until everything is back up and running.**

"That's just great." Adam grumbled as he unbuckled himself. This case was time sensitive and this delay was going to put a dent in finding that scum that was killing all these girls.

"It must be a sign." The man next to him unbuckled himself as well and stood.

"I'm sorry?"

"Elliot, Elliot Marsh. This delay, it must be a sign. You should talk to her."

"Thanks Mr Marsh." Adam smiled sincerely as the older man started walking back up the isle. He didn't mind the conversation and he obviously saw something that Adam didn't but he walked back up the isle himself and offered the staff a smile on his way off the plane, making a point not to look directly at the girl with the Kimberly name tag. All he wanted to do was call New York and tell them the situation. He wanted to offer as much as he could over the phone until he actually made it to the city. He made it to the lounge and made the call. He paced as he waited for someone to pick up on the other end and as soon as they did, he told them what was going on.

"I'm really sorry, I'm going to be in later than I expected, the plane ran in some mechanical problems before lift-off. If there's anything." Adam stopped his sentence as he listened to the bad new Peter Stone was giving him on the end of the line. "Damn it. I'm there as soon as I can and keep me posted." He shut his phone roughly and pushed it down in the back pocket of his jeans and headed towards the closest bar. He knew it was far too early for a drink and technically he was on duty but the new he had just gotten was requiring exactly that. He flagged the bartender and ordered a beer. He was pissed he hadn't just decided to drive to New York the night before instead of taking a plane this morning, no doubt being closer to his destination than he was now.

"Isn't it a bit early for a beer?" Instinctively his hand reached for his gun but when he looked in the direction of the voice, he returned his hand to the bar and thanked the bartender for the beer and smiled back at the woman in front of him.

"Rough morning." He claimed, taking a pull out of the bottle. "Is it airline policy to make small talk to passengers?" He couldn't help his lips from turning up when she laughed.

"No but my best friend works here." She flagged the second bartender who came bouncing in their direction.

"Kimmy."

"Kimmy?" Adam chuckled. "Short for Kimberly?" He enjoyed the eye roll she gave him.

"Call me Kim." She extended her hand.

"Adam Ruzek." He shook the hand she was offering him.

"And this is Candice." She knew her best friend was dying to find out who the stranger was. "Partner in crime since forever."

"And you wouldn't have it any other way." She raised herself on the counter and kissed Kim's cheek. "

"Ah damn, I have to run." Kim looked at her phone. "They're calling us back to the plane, shouldn't be too long now. It was nice to meet you Adam Ruzek." She smiled at him.

"Likewise, Kim."

"Burgess." She called over her shoulder as she walked away.

"She's single by the way." Adam jumped at the sound of Candice's voice.

**Attention all passengers from flight AA-625 in destination to New York, we will now be boarding the plane. **

"That's us. It was nice meeting you Candice." Adam pull some money on the bar and smiled at her, choosing to ignore her last comment.

"Likewise Adam." She smiled back, the clogs in her head now turning.

Adam made his way to the gate with the rest of the passengers and boarded but didn't see Kim for the whole flight. It wasn't until he took his duffle bag from the top compartment that his seat companion nudged him.

"Go talk to her son, you might not get the chance if you don't

"Already did sir." He looked at her at the very front of the aircraft and they smiled at each other.

"Good luck on your case."

"Thank you sir." Adam walked patiently through the plane until he made it to the front.

"Have a wonderful time in the city Mr Ruzek." Kim stayed proffesional through it all.

"Thank you Kim." He winked at her and he was sure he had seen her blush as he walked past her.

He hailed a cab and gave the address for the SVU offices, hoping that he wouldn't be too late to catch the psycho they were chasing but one thing he knew for sure, he would remember the name Kim Burgess.

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**A/N: Alright, so here is number one...Really hope you guys the loop I just threw you and please take a few seconds to review before you go - Sarra**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my imagination.**

**A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who left a review on the first chapter, I'm glad everyone liked it. So I loved the idea of them meeting another way and it's been fun to write so enjoy this next one.**

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"Who was THAT?" Chloe was less than obvious when she questioned her colleague as they exited the plane.

"What was who?" Kim asked over her shoulder as they were walking through the terminal.

"That gorgeous man that winked at you when he left the plane." Connie was losing her patience with her good friend.

"Just a passenger I met while we were having the mechanical problems." Her mind was swirling with Adam Ruzek but she wasn't about to offer that information up.

"I'll get it out of you, that's a promise."

"You can always try." She chuckled. The girls were only staying for the night, having a flight in the afternoon the following day but they usually went out for a few drinks when that happened to get the edge off from the not so friendly passengers. Kim was ever so glad to step into the fresh air of New York and the girls hailed a cab, heading for their hotel for a much needed shower. The air In the plane was always stale as that was the only way to get the scent out. The girls went in turn, Kim taking last. She lay in bed and her thoughts drifted to the detective on the plane. If she had to guess he was about her age but looked like he was mature compared to the men her age she's been meeting lately. His chocolate brown eyes and his smile that reached his eyes had been what had drawn her to him when they talked briefly at the bar.

"Kim." Kim snapped out of her thoughts at the tone of voice Chloe was using.

"Yeah, I'm going." She scrambled off the bed and grabbed her things.

"Wear that hot red number." Chloe called to the closed door where Kim was now hiding. Chloe was always trying to hook Kim up and live vicariously through her but Kim had yet to find the guy that did it for her but she was in no rush to do so in comparison to her room mate who kept pushing her in the arms of random guys. Kim's thoughts returned to Adam while in the shower and she chastised herself for being so caught up in a guy she had been around for a whole of ten minutes. She dried her hair and let it fall on her shoulders before slipping into the red number Chloe was so adamant she wear. She always wore make-up simplistically and she wasn't going to change that anytime soon. She grabbed her heels on her way out and twirled in front of a waiting Chloe. "You look gorgeous as always."

"Ready to go grab some food because I'm starving." Kim grabbed her purse and was ready to go.

"Lead the way." The two girls exited their hotel and hailed a cab, giving the driver the address for the Dead Rabbit on Water street. It was their go to bar when they had a layover in New York, the food and drinks were always amazing.

Adam lingered in the SVU offices with a new shiner and pain in his ribs from tackling their offender. He had been sloppy and they had tracked him easily but he had gotten in an altercation with him before he was able to cuff him. Benson had thanked him for his help and if there was anything her unit could do to help him in the future not to hesitate to give them a call.

"You should go get that iced." Amara called from his desk where he was finishing the paperwork.

"Nothing a good glass of Whiskey can't fix." Adam smirked.

"Headed back to Chicago in the morning?" Rollins questioned from in front of Adam.

"Nah, got a few days furlough while I`m here to spend some time with my sister, her husband and the twins. It's been a while."

"One more reason to get that checked out. " She chuckled. She had kids of her own and she knew how much of a bitch it was to play with them with a bruised and battered body.

"Standard procedure, I'll survive." No amount of pain would stop him from spending time with the twins.

"Take it easy then. Thanks again for the help Ruzek." Benson extended his hand for him to shake.

"Anytime we can help put a psycho away, I'm all for it." He slipped out of SVU and hailed a cab, giving him the address for the Dead Rabbit. His ribs were asking for some leniency and he knew that strong alcohol and the two ibuprofens he had ingested would help greatly until he could sleep it off. The place was already packed when he got there but he found a spot at the bar and ordered a whiskey neat, downing it in one shot asking for another one and ordering some food. He always loved the vibe this place gave away and the food was great so that was always a plus. He was minding his business, a third glass of Whiskey already down, pushing his plate away when he heard it through the noise. He looked to his left and found her with her head back, a playful laughter coming from her lips. She was dressed in a form fitting red dress and her hair was loose around her shoulders and the girl that was sitting opposite of her was a petite girl with short hair and she was obviously the one carrying on the conversation but he was fine with it that way. His eyes were transfixed on her as he sipped his drink and took her all in.

Kim was enjoying her evening, Chloe providing her with entertainment. Her stories were always funny and she always ended up with hurting sides from laughing so much but that's what she loved about her. They were sharing a meal and knocking back drinks and the rest of the world was falling away around them. Minutes later, a waitress stopped at their table with a tray and two glasses.

"The gentleman at the bar sends these drinks to the beautiful woman in red and her friend." Kim looked in the direction of the bar and smiled when she spotted Adam raising a glass in her direction and smiling back at her.

"Thanks." She smiled at the waitress before she left.

"Oh My God, he is totally HOT." Kim's attention returned to Chloe as her comment cut through all the noise in the bar. "You've got to go introduce yourself to him."

"Oh, I don't know." Kim tried to lie her way out of it.

"Oh no you don't." Chloe was practically pulling her out of the booth and pushing her towards Adam. "You are going to go over there and talk to him." Chloe was clearly not giving her friend a choice in the matter so Kim grabbed her new drink with her purse and walked towards Adam.

"Thanks for the drink." Kim said in his ear so he could hear her in the crowd.

"My pleasure."

"And sorry for the intrusion, my friend Chloe insisted I go introduce myself to the totally HOT guy." She took the stool next to him that she was surprised to find vacant.

"And what's your opinion on that?" Kim instantly blushed and Adam felt bad for putting her in that spot. "Sorry don't answer that."

"Well I'd have to agree with her but someone seems to want you some harm there." She recovered, pointing to his brand new accessory.

"Yeah that." He grazed the area with his fingers and smirked. "Just another day on the job."

"Looks like a dangerous job."

"Homicide Detective, it has its hazards." He shrugged. "You must see your fare share of weirdo's yourself."

"I could tell you stories." She giggled. In all the years she was on the job, she had seen more than enough weird people to last a life time but she loved it.

"How about I take you out to breakfast tomorrow morning and you can tell me all about it?" It was out of his nature to do this but he wanted to know more about her.

"How about you give me a call." She pulled out some lipstick from her purse and scribbled it down on a napkin and pushed it towards him. "And we can try to make something before I board in the afternoon?"

"Sounds good to me." Adam couldn't stop the grin on his face even if he tried. "I'll let you return to your friend. Enjoy your evening Kim."

"Thank you for the drink Adam." She gracefully got off the stool and kissed his cheek. "Good night." She left Adam stunned in the spot as she returned to her table where Chloe was gawking at her."

Adam blinked a few times to recover from what had just happened and folded the napkin and put it in his pocket, dropped some money on the bar and called it a night, wanting to give his ribs a rest before he had to call Kim in the morning, his sister expecting him for dinner the same day.

"Damn girl, what was that?" Chloe couldn't believe her friend had been so bold as to give her phone number to a stranger, let alone a kiss on the cheek.

"That was Adam Ruzek." She said matter of factly. "And we're going for breakfast in the morning." She took the last sip of the drink Adam had sent her way.

"You dirty whore." Chloe squealed, Kim giving nothing away from her conversation with Adam or the fact that they had met before now.

"A girl doesn't kiss and tell. Come on, it's been a long day." Kim put too much money on the table but she didn't care. She wanted to go rest her feet and get a good night sleep, hoping that her phone would indeed ring in the morning.

"Oh you have to tell me all about it when we go back home tomorrow afternoon."

"You gossip queen will get nothing out of me this time." The two of them moved through the crowd and out in the fresh New York air.

"Oh I have my ways to find out the truth." Kim only laughed as she hailed the cab, bringing them back to their hotel room. Kim changed in boy shorts and a tank and quickly fell asleep as she lay her head on the pillow.

Kim spent the night tossing for an unknown reason and finally fell asleep around four in the morning. She was hoping to get a few good hours of sleep to be rested in the morning but it would have to do. The blinds filtered nothing of the sun that was already up and Kim pulled the blanket over her head with a groan. When she thought she was about to fall asleep, her phone vibrated loudly on the night stand. She blindly reached for it and didn't even bother to look at the caller ID before answering. "Yeah?" She did nothing to hide her sleep filled voice as she answered. The line stayed dead for a few seconds until someone spoke on the other side.

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**A/N: Okay so I couldn't resist leaving the chapter open ended like that so is Adam calling Kim or is it someone completely different? Please take a few seconds to review before you go, I always love to hear your thoughts - Sarra**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my imagination.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who left reviews on the last chapter, it's always nice to know you guys are loving this story as much as I love writing it.**

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Adam wasn't sure what he was expecting when he called the number on the napkin so he was surprised when Kim's sleep filled voice answered. It left him momentarily stunned into silence until he finally spoke.

"I'm sorry for waking you up." He apologized.

"Oh, it's okay." He chuckled softly at the sound of her voice. "Are we still up for breakfast?"

"I wasn't sure if you still wanted to."

"And what? Miss a breakfast date with a good looking man?" She was fully awake now, feeling her cheeks heat up at her own admission. "I wouldn't dream of standing you up."

"In that case, there is this place on Clinton street called Clinton's St. Baking Company, they serve the best pancakes in New York. Can you meet me there in an hour?" He didn't want to rush her out of bed but he had no idea where she was staying so he wanted to have enough time to get ready and make the ride there.

"I'll see you there Adam." She smiled to herself. This morning was starting off the right foot and hopefully the rest of her stay until she had to be back on a plane.

"See you there." He echoed before ending the call. Kim threw her hair in a top bun and headed for the shower. She never brought a lot when she flew but black skinny jeans and her sleeveless burgundy top would do the trick this morning. She put on her flats and put mascara before she was out the door and hailing a cab.

Adam couldn't stop the smile on his lips. Kim Burgess had agreed to breakfast with him and for some reason, that made him suddenly nervous. No girl had made him feel like that in the last years and he had a feeling that this chance meeting on that flight to NYC would be the highlight of his year. He showered and he decided on jeans and slipped a simple black t-shirt, making the safe of his gun was on and that it was safely tucked into the safe before he was out the door. The last thing he wanted was to have an accident while out of town. He was at the restaurant about twenty minutes later and the waitress took him to a booth in the back of the restaurant after requesting somewhere quiet where he could talk with Kim without too many prying ears. He texted his sister while he waited that he would swing by as soon as he was out of here, holding on to his promise to visit her while he was in town.

Kim was starting to be nervous as the cab driver dropped her off in front of the restaurant. She didn't know why this particular meeting was making her stomach flutter with butterflies but one look at Adam when she came through the doors were enough to make them calm down in the slightest.

"Hey." Her smile was bright enough to light up a whole room and Adam stood to greet her with a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey. I ordered coffee, hope that's okay with you." He resumed his spot in the booth as Kim took hers in front of him.

"Coffee is great, I really need that."

"Coffee addict I see."

"Sometimes it's the only thing that keeps me up during long flights." She thanked the waitress as she put two cups in front of them and poured them each a cup, leaving the thermos full and handing them menus before leaving them alone while they made a choice.

"How did you even become a flight attendant to begin with?" He asked casually, needing to find out as much as he could about her.

"Nothing too glamourous. Chloe, Jenny and I wanted to travel the world and this was the easy choice." She smirked a she took a sip of the hot liquid in the cup.

"That's not a bad idea. Looks like the three of you are thick as thieves. Where does Candice fit in all of this?"

"She is afraid of hights but she's a people person and what better place to talk with people than in a bar during long layovers? And it assures me to be able to see her every week otherwise it would be a completely impossible task. And what about you? Homicide Detective, what's your story?" She smiled as him as she crossed both hands under her chin.

"My dad is a cop." He first gave her. "He's on the beat." He saw the confusion in her eyes at the technical term so he felt the need to elaborate. "But I knew I wanted more than just patrolling the streets so I kept my head down and did the work and took the Detective exam and here I am."

"How come you are in New York if you work for the CPD?"

"You know the CPD?"

"I'm from Chicago, born and raised." She smiled brightly, the smile that lit up her whole face and made his insides pudding.

"That means that we'll have to catch up when you're back in town." That made him hopeful that their paths would cross again.

"That we will. So New York?" She returned to the topic at hand.

"Special Victims Unit is working a case that we had on our hands a few months back and I came down here to help them out."

"You must be good at what you do if they are willing to lend you for the case."

"I was the lead Detective on the case back home."

"Lead Detective huh? Pretty impressive." The waitress came back and they gave their order before returning to their conversation. Kim told him all about her sister and niece back home and how her parents were divorced while Adam told him everything about his job in the Homicide Unit and his sister and nephews here in New York while his parents had a nasty relationship since separating when he was a kid, something both he and Kim had in common.

"And you're up in the cloud more often than you're on the ground, it must be hard not being as close physically with your sister and niece?"

"It has its shares of challenges but the plus side I have by working on an airline is that I have pretty sweet discounts so we go on a vacation every year, brings us closer."

"That is a pretty sweet deal. I can't remember the last time I went anywhere, time off is hard to come by lately."

"That sucks, I'm sure you wouldn't mind a little bit more of that considering what you probably witness every day." She couldn't imagine how seeing that much death could affect someone and Adam seemed solid in that department from what she could see.

"It helps to be surrounded by good people. My partner Kevin Atwater keeps me grounded and makes me a better cop so that's a plus."

"I'll have to meet him some day then."

"I'm sure he'd adore you, he's one giant teddy bear when he's not on the job."

"Good to know." She chuckled as their food arrived. They spent most of the morning talking and laughing, hitting it off as if they had known each other forever. She shared stories of passengers while he told her stories of strange shit he had witnessed on the beat and they were laughing together. Her phone dinged and she frowned when she looked at the message.

"Time to go?" He frowned, really not wanting his time with her to end.

"Unfortunately yes." She was about to put money on the table when he put a hand on hers to stop her.

"This one is on me."

"Come on Adam, that's two in two."

"No one's counting." He winked at her and the butterflies returned full force.

"Well I am." She huffed, slightly insulted. "Next two are on me." She stood out of the booth, Adam politely standing up before she left.

"I guess we will have to see about that one back in Chicago. Have a safe flight and text me when you land?" He took her hand in his and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles.

"I'll do you a better one." She smiled, liking the small gesture. "Look for my name on your caller ID." She took a step forward, suddenly feeling bold.

"I can't wait." And before he could say anything else, she closed the gap between the two and pressed her lips to his. It took him a few seconds to recover before he kissed her back, gently pulling her body closer to his. Their tongues touched and it sent a jolt of electricity through Adam's body, something that had never happened in his life before. The kiss was short and soft and Kim closed her eyes, letting herself enjoy it. They pulled apart seconds later.

"Be careful out there Detective." She whispered against his lips as they parted.

"Promise." He pecked her lips again before pulling himself away completely. She smiled at him and whispered a bye before leaving the restaurant, heading back to Chicago and out of his life for now. He asked for the check and dropped money on the table before leaving, taking a cab a few blocks out so he could rent a car and head to the burbs, his sister waiting for him.

When the busy streets changed into long grassy roads, Adam was happy knowing he was getting close. He always appreciated the quiet that came with visiting his sister, the only real down time he'd been having in the past years. It didn't take long after Adam had cut the engine that the twins were running down the stairs.

"UNCLE ADAM!" They jumped him as soon as he was out of the car.

"Jackson, Dylan." He hugged them, ignoring the pain he felt in his side at the attack. No matter how bad his life got in Chicago, these two characters always made it better.

"Why don't you let uncle Adam arrive before you attack him?" She waited until the two were back enough before hugging her brother. "I can see you didn't stay out of trouble." She whispered to his ear.

"More than the other guy." He kissed her cheek. "How's it going Liv?"

"We're good." She pulled away from him and wrapped her arm around his waist, her husband David waiting for them on top of the stairs with the two boys screaming in the background.

"She worries about her little brother." The two men shook hands.

"She knows I'm careful out there." They all went inside and Adam found the kids and wrestled with them as David grabbed the three of them a beer.

"I still worry." She poked her head through the living room frame, finding the two boys on top of their uncle. "Take them outside Adam, they break something you buy it." She warned him.

"Yes ma'am." He scooped Jackson up over his shoulder and grabbed Dylan by his mid-section, all four limbs dangling. "You heard your mom, out we go." David laughed as Adam walked the three of them outside.

"David." She hissed at her husband.

"I wouldn't be able to stop him even if I tried babe. Just enjoy the fact that he's still in one piece."

"Fine." She huffed. "Outside you go too, I don't need you in my kitchen."

"Yes ma'am." He mock saluted with a laugh as he handed her the beer, heading outside with one for Adam and himself. He was never one to argue with her when she kicked him out of the kitchen, she was after all the real chef in the house.

Olivia watched as the boys continued to tackle her brother and she worried beyond the black eye he was sporting, knowing it was never just as simple as that. He seemed happy though, happier than the last time she had seen him if that was even possible. There had to be a reason for it and she was going to find out even if she had to pull it out of him.

"So, how battered are you really?" David asked when Adam managed to get away from the boys to take a breather.

"Bruising at the ribs, nothing I haven't handled before." He took a pull of his beer as he watched the two boys run after each other in the grass.

"Something's different about you." The two guys looked back at Olivia that had appeared in the patio door.

"Same old same old." He chuckled as he drank his beer. He didn't want to talk about Kim, not wanting to jinx it, regardless of when or even if he would see her again.

"I'll find out, mark my words." She left them again, one last thing to prepare before she called everyone in.

"She will, you know she will."

"There's nothing to find out." He leaned his elbows on his knees as he drank the last of his beer, placing the bottle at his feet.

"LIAR." Olivia screamed from the kitchen, making the two of them laugh. She called them in not too long after and they enjoyed a nice meal, catching up on what had been happening in the last weeks since they'd seen each other. Olivia stood to clear the table but Adam stopped her.

"I've got it." As much as she tried protesting, Adam wouldn't have it. She watched him as he cleared the whole table and the wheels in her head refused to stop turning.

"Just go talk to him babe." David whispered to her ear. "Maybe he just needs his sister's advice. She kissed him and leaned against the doorframe.

"Mind if I help?"

"It's your house." He shrugged, giving her a crooked smile. He knew what she was doing and although he wasn't planning on spilling any life altering secrets tonight, he appreciated the gesture. She simply pulled a drying clothes and dried whatever he was handing her. They went on like that in silence until Olivia couldn't take it anymore.

"You look happy."

"I'm always happy Liv." He countered.

"I know but something's different this time, you're eyes are happier.

"I'm in a really good place Liv I'm just not ready to share it with anyone." He offered her a genuine smile and she smiled back at him.

"Whatever it is, I'm happy for you Adam, you certainly deserve it." He had worked so hard for what he had and if this secret of his made him happy, than she was happy for him. They finished cleaning the dishes in a comfortable silence and Adam tucked the boys in before turning in himself, leaving his sister and husband alone for a quiet evening.

He stripped to his boxers and slipped in the sheets of the bed in the guestroom. He pulled his phone and sent Kim a text before closing his eyes, exhaustion and pain getting the better of him.

Kim slipped into her apartment just as her phone dinged. She looked at the owner of the message and smiled when she saw it was from Adam.

_Hope you made it to Chicago okay. Good Night x_

She offered him a reply and kicked her shoes off, the only thing on her mind being sleep. She wound down with a glass of wine and went directly to bed, Adam bringing a smile to her lips after a particular tough flight back.

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**A/N: So the stars seem to align for both Kim and Adam right now and Adam is keeping her close to the vest for the first time, even from his sister. Next chapter we'll see both worlds collide in Chicago. Hope you guys liked it and please take a few seconds to review before you go, I always love reading your thoughts. - Sarra**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my imagination.**

**A/N: I'm super excited from the response that this story has received so far and I'm sorry this update took so long to come but I hope you enjoyed it.**

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Adam found himself Chicago bound two days later and he plugged his earbuds in, knowing Kim wasn't on the flight. He wasn't in the mood for small talk of any kind so he just closed his eyes and shut his mind. They touched down and Adam grabbed his carry-on and made it through the terminal, smiling when he saw Atwater waiting for him.

"Glad to have you home brother." They hugged and tapped each other's chest in greeting.

"I bet you had so much fun with Lance." He chuckled, knowing how much he hated being partnered with him.

"I'm never letting them loan you again." He groaned. Kevin dropped him off at his place with a promise to go out for a drink in a few days after shift. Adam was exhausted from his three days with his sister and the kids and he knew that he needed to be rested for his day back in Homicide. He grabbed himself a beer and settled in front of a basketball game, just wanting to unwind a bit before bed. He looked at his phone and unlocked it, going through the exchange of texts between himself and Kim and it brought a smile on his lips.

A: I just got back in. Any chance we can get together next time you touch down in the city? Adam didn't have to wait long for a reply.

K: Back in a couple of days, I'll call you when I get it. Night x

Adam smiled at her reply before he shut the tv off and put his beer bottle in the sink before turning in. He was up bright and early and heading into the precinct, glad to have it mostly empty. Her took a seat at his desk and started on some paperwork that he left behind.

Kevin walked up the stairs of the 26th and found his way towards his own desk and he took a seat in front of Adam, watching him as Adam kept his head down. He could see his shoulders less tense than before his stint in New York and if he was not mistaken, there was a smile lingering on his lips.

"Is that a smile I see there Ruz?" Kevin teased.

"I always smile, see?" He smirked, making Kevin laugh.

"Not like that. Who's the girl?"

"No girl, just had a great time with Liv and the kids." He deflected, returning to his paperwork.

"You can't hide it forever." Kevin was determined to find out who the lucky lady making his partner and best friend smiling like that. The rest of the unit filed in and welcomed Adam back before their Sargent walked in, calling them at attention.

"Welcome back Ruzek." Adam raised his arm in acknowledgement but kept his eyes trained on his paperwork. "I need all of your paperwork on the last case on my desk before the end of the morning." Adam watched as his boss's phone rang. "Walker." It didn't take a genius that a case was coming so Adam stood from his desk and grabbed his jacket, giving Kevin a head's up. "We got a case." Walker announced as the rest of the unit suited up.

Kevin watched Adam like a hawk as they made it to the car and he had no doubt that his recent change was due to a girl and he was going to get it out of him.

"You do know that I can see right through you, right dog?" He leaned against the top of the car and watched as Adam took his seat shotgun.

"I just, I'm not sure where it's heading and it's new and I kind of like her." Adam watched as Kevin took his spot behind the wheel.

"Good for you. Looking forward to meeting her." Kevin left Adam to his thoughts as they made it to the scene. The alley next to the house was closed off and when Adam walked into the house, he leaned down, pulling the sheet off the victims, he gasped, finding a young girl, probably no older than ten, a woman he assumed to be her mother lying next to her with a bullet to the chest.

"What do we know?" He growled, putting the tarp back down and standing up.

"Not much detective." A younger officer came next to them.

"I want this whole area canvased with a fine-tooth comb and I want every camera and pod footage within a 10 mile radius on my desk in an hour." He stood promptly and started pacing, running a hand against his face.

"Ruz, talk to me." Kevin watched him pace, knowing any case involving kids riled Adam up.

"She's Vinessa's age man. How can you be so FUCKING CALM?"

"Trust me I'm far from it but we gotta do everything we can to get justice for her. That's how we deal with this." He took a step towards Adam, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, let's try to get this solved quick." And for the next hours, that's exactly what they did. Adam was going to get the son of a bitch that did it even f he had to kick every single door of the neighbourhood to do it. Atwater could see Adam's agitation during the whole day so he knew exactly what they were going to do when they had caught that maniac.

Hours later found them back at the 26th with no real lead and Adam was in front of his computer looking over street cam footage and nothing was standing out and he was growing increasingly frustrated.

"Got anything?" He didn't want to look up from his task, hell bent on finding something.

"Nothing yet, working a few leads but waiting to hear back from my CI's." Walker walked out of his office and saw two of his Detectives right in front of him and he could see their frustration in the way they were holding each other.

"Atwater, Ruzek, my office."

"Not now Sarge."

"NOW!" He appreciated Ruzek's need to solve the case but it wasn't a request. The two stood and walked into their Sargent's office.

"What can we do for you Sarge?" Kevin did the middle man, knowing Ruzek was a ticking bomb right about now.

"What do we have so far?" He sat behind his desk, Kevin sitting and Adam staying on his feet.

"We don't have much to go off on right now. I have a couple CI's working the streets and we cam footage."

"Found anything on the footage?"

"Not yet and the father is still in the wind." Adam's jaw muscles clenched, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I don't need to tell you of the importance of solving this case."

"No you don't." Adam said through gritted teeth, turning around and heading for the door but he made it the door handle before Walker stopped him.

"Stay back a few minutes Ruzek." Adam rolled his eyes in annoyance as Kevin clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Sarge?" Adam turned around and stayed put, hoping to get this over with so he could actually go back to do some real cop work.

"I got a call from New York, they said you did a fine job up there."

"Thanks, glad I could help." Adam took a step back and was about to leave again but clearly his Sargent had other ideas.

"What's on your mind Ruzek?"

"What's on my mind is that a ten year old girl and her mother were killed at daybreak, the dad is MIA and we have nothing to go on." Adam's phone rang and he smiled as he listened to the person on the other side. "Keep him in custody, I'm on my way." He left the office and grabbed his coat on the back on the chair. "Atwater, they got the dad, let's go." He wasn't about to let this task go to anyone else.

"Molly's tonight, no's not gonna cut it." Kevin knew Adam would need to unwind after today.

"Absolutely." They made it to the airport in record time with the lights on and as soon as both he and Kevin walked into the room, they were face to face with a hysteric man.

"Why are you keeping me here? They won't tell me what's going on. They just took me here and took my passport. What is going on?"

"Where were travelling back from?"

"I was on a business meeting all week."

"Can someone confirm you were there?" Adam clasped his hands together on the table, Kevin sitting back in his chair.

"Yes, I keep all my receipts for expenses refunds and the guy at the front desk of the hotel can vouch for me. And you can look at the security footage." He ran his fingers through his hair. "Can you please tell me what is going on?" His tone was resigned, tired. Adam looked at Kevin and sighed. He hated this part of the job but he knew he had to do it.

"We found your wife and daughter unresponsive earlier today. I'm sorry Mr. Duncan." Kevin's heart went out to the man who's life they had just turned upside down.

"Please find out who did this to my family, please."

"You have our word." Adam promised. "We'll need you to come down to the station to identify them." The man finally broke down and the guys stood and left the room, requesting some uniforms to escort the man to his family.

"Let me check-in with my CI's, we need to find who did this." Kevin could relate to the man on a certain level because he knew for a fact that if Jordan and Vinessa were taken away from him, he's be destroyed. Kevin's phone rang as they excited the terminal.

"Atwater." He nodded to what was being said and even though Adam was trying to gain his attention, Kevin's attention was solely on the person on the other end of the line. "Thanks, we're on our way." He pocketed his phone and turned to Adam. "They found something on the pods, let's go." Kevin drove due to Adam's still agitated state and when they made it back to the 26th, the footage was waiting for them and they finally caught their break.

The case took them longer than they were hoping for. It was late in the evening when they finally found the guy. It had been a home invasion gone wrong and the man had shot blindly into the house. Adam rolled his shoulders as he and Kevin made it out of the 26th.

"Meet me at Molly'?" Kevin confirmed.

"Right behind you." They were quick to order shots and beers upon arrival and they had one thing in mind, unwind.

Kim landed mid-afternoon and her first destination was her apartment. All she wanted was to shower and go out for a drink with Chloe. It had been another tough flight and she just wanted to relax at this point. Chloe was insistent they try a small local pub close to her new flat and Kim was supposed to meet her there. She figured that she would call Adam in the morning and they could get together if he was off. She had found herself missing him physically since he left for his sister's house and she was looking forward to get to know him more. She found the black skinny jeans she had bought last in the back of her closet and he put it with a blue sleeveless top that stopped just mid rift and she grabbed her heels and clutch and she was out the door.

Adam and Kevin were in a booth at the back of Molly's as they knocked beers back, their Sargent having given them the next day off after a hard case.

"So, tell me more about that lady friend of yours." Kevin wasn't going to let him get away with not telling him anything.

"I met her on the plane to New York." He smiled as he remembered their first meeting.

"See, that smile right there." He pointed at Adam. "You're totally hooked man, you're in trouble."

"You might be right but I don't regret anything." He admitted. "She's beautiful, smart, funny and she has that way of carrying herself that just has you gravitate towards her." He looked ahead of Kevin just as the door to Molly's opened and he saw the most beautiful girl walk in, followed by her best friend. He couldn't take his eyes off her as his smile grew wider. Kevin turned to see what Adam was looking at and his eyes fell on two girls he had never seen before.

"Why don't you just go see her?" Kevin gave Adam his attention.

"Nah, I'm good. She's supposed to call me tomorrow." He said absentmindedly as he kept his eyes on her.

"Come on, just go." Adam smiled back at Kevin but he got another idea instead. He hailed the waitress and sent two glasses of wine over.

Kim and Chloe were laughing as they sat at the bar but they were interrupted but the waitress bringing them two glasses of red wine.

"From the gentleman in the back." She turned around and instantly her eyes fell on Adam who winked at her, making her laugh.

"Thanks." She smiled at the girl behind the bar. "Come on Chloe, I'll introduce you." Now that she had seen him, she wanted to go see him and thank him properly for the drinks.

"Fancy meeting you in here." He slipped a hand around her waist as she made it to him.

"What are the chances?" She leaned up and kissed him soundly on the lips. Her arms found their way towards his neck as he deepened the kiss and a deep clearing of someone's throat pulled them apart.

"Kim Burgess, I would like you to meet my partner Kevin Atwater."

"It's nice to finally meet you, Adam has told me great things about you." She extended her hand and he enveloped it with his much larger one.

"And Ruz didn't lie when he said you were beautiful." She blushed a light shade of pink at the compliment. She noticed Chloe fidgeting in her spot, her eyes on Kevin.

"Oh and this is Chloe, best friend extra ordinaire." Kim made the introductions.

"Welcome to Molly's Chole." Kevin extended his hand and kissed the back of hers.

"Thanks." She smiled coyly.

"So you're the infamous Chloe, we haven't formally met. I'm Adam Ruzek." They both shook hands.

"Glad to finally see you up close and not from across a bar. This one has been tight lipped about you." She nudged Kim's shoulder, Adam's grip still around her waist.

"He's been a tough nut to crack too. If you hadn't shown up tonight, I'd still think you were cooked up by his brain."

"We weren't trying to hide, it's just pretty new."

"Some of the best things deserve to go slow." Kevin couldn't keep his eyes on Kim's friend, who returned his attention. The boys scooted over and let the girls slide in next to them and they made conversation, getting to know more about each other.

In a matter of seconds, Chloe and Kevon suddenly became unaware of them, the two of them in their own bubble.

"Want to get out of here?" Adam whispered to Kim's ear.

"I think they won't miss us." She giggled. She got out of the booth, Adam right behind her. He put some bills on the table and guided her out of Molly's and towards his Tahoe.

"Where to?" He didn't want to influence her so he gave the the power to decide.

"My place?"

"Sure, we'll get your car later." He assured her.

"I came with Chloe."

"Even better." He helped her inside and walked around and got into the driver's side, looking at her for directions. She texted Chloe about leaving with Adam so she wouldn't worry and then she kept her eyes on Adam as she gave him directions. Once they were inside her building, his hands hummed at the need to touch her but just like before, she was the one in control so he let her unlock her door and invite him inside, Adam closing the door behind him.

"Welcome to my place." She said with a smile as she turned the lights on. He took a step towards her and placed his hands on her hips, pulling her to him.

"I missed you." His lips ghosted over hers.

"How much did you miss me?" She would be lying if she hadn't entertained thoughts of the two coming together but she wanted to take things as slow as he wanted but looking in her eyes now, that's not the plan he had in mind. His lips found hers in a bruising kiss and Kim started pushing his shirt over his head as she guided him towards her room. Their clothes were shed in record time and Adam laid her down gently on the bed, ready to show her exactly how much he had missed her.

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**A/N:Please take a few seconds to review before you go, your thoughts mean everything to me. - Sarra**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my imagination. This chapter is little more rated M than the previous ones.**

**A/N: I want to thank everyone who took the time to read my last chapter and a special thanks to those who left reviews, it's always appreciated. I'm sorry that I'ver been MIA lately and I'm string to get back in the swing of writing and I hope that you guys will enjoy this chapter.**

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The lights filtered softly through the blinds of Kim's bedroom window. She was just rising, the remnants of sleep stretching though her body. She could feel some weight on her hip and for a small second, she forgot what had transpired the night before. She smiled to herself and closed her eyes again, enjoying the warmth of the sheets and Adam's body pressed into her back. When she woke up next, Adam's arms were still wrapped securely around her waist but he was shifting against her, a low rumble in his chest against her back had her smiling.

"Good morning." He whispered against her back, his lips finding the back of her neck.

"Morning." Her voice was still filled with sleep but it was enough to make Adam smile.

"How are you feeling this morning?"

"Blissfully sore." She shifted under his arms and turned to face him as he chuckled.

"I was that good huh?" He smirked, earning himself a slap on the chest and rewarded by a light blush on Kim's cheeks.

"I'm glad it happened." She whispered.

"So am I." He dipped down and captured her lips with his own. "Any plans for today?" He rolled them around, pinning her under him.

"Not any that take me out of this bed." She was breathless from their kiss.

"Good because I am going to cook us some breakfast and we are going to get to know each other better."

"I love the sound of that." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him back to her for another kiss, her right leg wrapping around his calf, her intentions of keeping him close clear. He made love to her again, sleep and food the last thing from either of their minds.

"Mind if I use your shower?" He panted as he rolled off of Kim and onto his back.

"Across the hall." Her heart was pounding in her chest as she rolled to the side, propping herself on her elbow.

"I'll be right back." He pecked her lips and stood in all his naked glory.

"I was that good huh?" She threw back at him with a giggle.

"And then some." He looked back at her and winked. He grabbed his clothes and went in the direction of the bathroom as Kim returned to her back with a content sigh. Her body was sore from the exercise but she felt full of energy and she was glad that she had followed Chloe to Molly's the night before. Adam's partner seemed nice and the chemistry between him and Chloe was palpable and she was happy for her friend. She suddenly scrambled to find her pants to get a hand on her cell but just a look at the three missed calls and texts from Chloe and she was giggling to herself.

C:Thanks for the ditch, I had an amazing time with Kevin.

C:You and I are getting dinner tonight and you are totally spilling on your evening with your Detective boy toy.

Kim scribbled a quick text about agreeing to dinner and set her phone back on her table before getting out of bed and pulling Adam's shirt over her head.

"That Chloe?" She looked up to find him with jeans hanging low on his hips, his hand going through his still damp hair.

"Yeah." She smiled at him. "I'm meeting her for dinner later tonight. Any news from Kevin? They seemed to hit it off last night." He leaned down and grabbed his own phone from the floor.

"I'd say." He showed her his phone with a grin.

K: Meeting Chloe for lunch, tell Kim thanks for introducing us.

"Good to know, we can totally do double dates." She stood from the bed and padded towards Adam.

"I'm not sure I'd share if you keep wearing my clothes like that." He pulled her closer, his shirt riding higher against her thighs.

"You don't need your shirt." She raised on her toes and kissed him. She pressed her fingers into his neck as he deepened the kiss but they were interrupted by the manly growl of Kim's stomach.

"Come on, let's get some food in you." He chuckled, pecking her lips. He followed her with his hands on her hips, the need to keep her close too strong. Kim started going through her fridge when Adam stopped her. "I got breakfast, you go sit down."

"Let me at least start coffee." She objected.

"Fine but that's it." Adam always loved cooking food and breakfast was his favourite meal and he was in a good mood this morning.

"Sooo." Kim took a seat on the counter next to Adam after starting the coffee machine. "How was it at your sister's?"

"It was great actually. It had been a while and the kids were happy to see me."

"I bet your sister was happy to see you too."

"Less so with the bruising around my eye."

"She must worry about you all the time." She pulled a piece of fruit out of the bowl Adam was making.

"I avoid getting physical with offenders as much as I can but things don't always swing my way." He admitted. "I don't always tell her everything because I know that she'd stress even more."

"You're a good brother Adam." They shared a look as she ran her fingers against his arm. He gave her a smile and returned to the task at hand. "Do you have pictures of them?" He pulled his phone out of his back pocket and thumbed through his feed until he found a few good ones. "Ooohhhh." She gushed. "They are adorable."

"That's Dylan and Jackson." He pointed to each.

"Jackson looks a lot like you."

"That's what my dad says and Olivia swears he'll be as much trouble as I was."

"I somehow have trouble imagining you as a trouble maker."

"Don't be fooled by the badge, I was a nightmare as a kid." He assure her as he started making pancake batter.

"I'll have to pick your dad's brain then." She noticed how he stiffened at the mention of his dad. "Or not." She shook off the feeling in the pit of her stomach as her brain tried to explain the shift in Adam's body language. He pushed the batter away from him and turned slightly towards her.

"It's not what you think." He heard the hurt behind her words and he didn't want to have any misunderstandings between them. "I love my pops to death but he's a bit rough and I'm not quite ready to share you with them." He moved so he was settled between her legs, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "The truth is, I haven't dated anyone, casual or otherwise in a few years now and Olivia knew I was seeing someone new only minutes after asking me how I was doing. That's just how happy and different you make me feel and I just want to hold on to that feeling for myself for a little while longer." He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers.

"I'm okay with that."

"Good because I want to spend as much time with you as you'll let me and when we're ready, we will go to New York and you can meet the rest of the Ruzek brood, promise."

"Good so no more talk about family, I can't wait to eat." She blushed sheepishly as her stomach gave another loud growl.

"We're not done talking about family but better feed you first." He kissed her and returned to the pans, making pancakes and frying some bacon. Kim made two cups of coffee and looked at Adam expectantly to know what he put in it but he simply extended his hand for the cup, preferring his coffee black. "Tell me more about your sister Nicole and your niece Zoe." Kim was surprised that he remembered so much.

"Nicole works in an accountant firm and her husband Michael is a big shot lawyer. You can imagine what having a daughter that is a flight attendant did to my mother." She rolled her eyes with a smirk.

"I'm sure she's proud of you the same."

"Let's just say she would have preferred I become something prestigious like a lawyer or a doctor." She hopped down on the floor and took the plate Adam presented her.

"Well I for one, am glad you didn't become a lawyer or a doctor." He followed her to the breakfast bar and they enjoyed breakfast, Kim telling him all about Zoe, the biggest smile on her face. He would give anything to see that smile on her face every day. "So when do you fly out next?" He didn't really want to hear the answer.

"Couple of days. We were supposed to meet up tonight and breakfast with Nicole in the morning before I head out at ten tomorrow night." She put some pancake in her mouth and a moan escaped her lips. "This is really good."

"Thanks." He smiled at her. "So I guess we need to make the most out of today if you leave so soon."

"I guess we do." He pulled her out of her stool and into his lap, taking her lips in his. Their tongues danced together, Adam's fingers tangling in her hair and Kim's arms around his neck. He stood and walked them back to Kim's bedroom, gently placing her on her bed, his lips still attached to hers. He explored her body as his lips made a trail down the column of her neck, making her whimper his name.

"We are not rushing this morning." His voice against the skin of her shoulder made a shiver vibrate down her spine as she tangled her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck.

"You are going to be the death of me."

"That's the plan." He chuckled against her skin as he continued the exploration of her body with his lips and his hands. He spread her legs apart with his knee as his lips found hers again and he slipped inside of her, swallowing a moan as he did. He gave her a few seconds to breathe before he started thrusting slowly. He kept his slow torturous pace until Kim's knees braced his hips and pulled him closer.

"Enough teasing." Her breathing was ragged already and sweat slowly starting to cover their bodies.

"I'm not teasing." He insisted but kept his pace slow.

"Yes you are." She growled, her heels now digging in his ass, trying to make him change the pace, her body begging for release.

"No more teasing." He breathed against her lips as he claimed her lips, his right hand pulling her leg higher against his thigh, giving him a new angle and speeding his thrusts, he had her screaming his name in seconds and they fell off the cliff together, Adam thrusting through Kim's orgasm.

Adam kept his weight off of her as they both caught their breaths. "Is it too soon to say this feels right?"

"It does feel right." She whispered as Adam rolled to his side and pulled her against him. "I haven't let myself grow attached to anyone seriously since I started taking the air." She hadn't told this to anyone except Nicole but being there in Adam's arms felt right to tell him about it. "You caught me completely off guard on that flight to New York and I don't believe in fate or anything like that but maybe we were meant to be in each other's paths and I'm really not sure what it means but I'm happy that our paths crossed."

"That makes the two of us." Their moment was interrupted by Kim's phone vibrating on her side table. Adam released his hold on her as she rolled to her side and answered the phone.

"Hey Nicole, what's up?"Adam listened to her, placing his arms behind his head. "Something came up last night." She looked at Adam with a smirk but the blush that crept on her cheeks confirmed to him that she had been caught in a lie. "Lunch?"

"Go." Adam mouthed to her with a smile as he stood and started pulling his pants up and his shirt over his head.

"Don't move." She mouthed back. "Sure, I can meet you for lunch. I'll see you in an hour." And she hung up. "I'm so sorry. She must have gotten hold of Chloe and she can't keep a secret to save her life."

"It's okay." He leaned down on the bed and kissed her. "It'll give me a chance to stop by and see my dad." She pulled him down and gave him a last kiss.

"I'll walk you out." She stood and pulled the sheet with her. She followed behind Adam until they were at the door, Adam slipping it open. "Call me later?"

"Absolutely." He cupped her cheek and kissed her on the lips. "Have fun with your sister."

"Thanks, you too with your dad." He stole one last kiss before leaving, Kim closing the door behind him and leaning her back against it, a smile ghosting her lips. She felt lighter than she had felt in a long while and as her heart skipped a beat, she headed for the shower, looking forward to lunch with her sister so she could gush about Adam.

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**A/N: So I know this chapter is probably not my best one…I had some trouble writing it… but I hope you guys enjoyed it anyways and please leave a review before you go, it's always appreciated. - Sarra**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my imagination.**

**A/N: Happy New Year to all of my readers. I hope 2020 wil bring you health and happiness. As some of you that follow me on Twitter know, December 2019 hasn't been kind on my family so writing had to take a back burner but hopefully 2020 will be better and that I'll be able to get back to writing on a more regular basis. Enjoy chapter 6 until then.**

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Kim got out of the shower and pulled on an old pair of blue jeans and a yellow sweater before sweeping her hair up in a loose bun. She slipped her feet into flats and grabbed her purse on the way out, locking behind her. She knew she had to hurry up because Nicole was not a very patient person in these kinds of circumstances and she didn't want to get hounding phone calls from her. She found her sister easily in a booth by the window and as always, she didn't waste time.

"Who's the guy?" She was giddy with excitement and Kim couldn't help the smile on her lips.

"I met him on a flight to New York." She blushed at the thought.

"You're lying."

"No lie, promise."

"Show me a picture then."

"Come on Nicole, we literally met a couple months ago, I don't have pictures yet." Kim insister but Nicole stretched her palm out and after hesitating, she handed her sister her cell phone. "You won't find anything in there." She insisted but her sister only hummed in response and looked through her feed.

"Ah Ha!" I said triumphantly a little bit too loud for Kim's taste. "I knew there were pictures in there."

"What? Let me have a look." Kim had no memory of ever taking selfies of her and Adam or solely of Adam from their breakfast date in New York or the previous night at Molly's.

"Well someone took pictures." Nicole showed Kim the phone and Kim pulled it roughly out of her hands. It was a photo and her and Adam at Molly's the previous night, Kim sitting on his lap and laughing at something he had said, the grin equally big on Adam's face.

"Damn it Chloe." She cursed under her breath. It had to be her, no one else had the passcode to her phone but her best friend and her sister.

"I really love how she thinks." She chuckled as the waitress brought them some coffee and menus. "So does this guy have a name?"

"No, I'm not giving you that. I know that you are going to ask Mike to do a background check on him but he's legit, I promise."

"I promise I won't get a background check done, scouts honour."

"That doesn't count, you were never in the scouts." She growled, the waitress coming to take their order already. Once it was given and their coffee's refilled, Nicole continued her assault on her sister.

"Come on Kim, spill."

"Fine." She huffed in fake exasperation. "His name is Adam Ruzek and he is a detective in Homicide out of the *31st*

"Any siblings?"

"He has a sister in the burbs in New York with her husband and twin boys and his dad lives here and is a beat cop." She figured those were easy things to check out and maybe would give her sister enough to stop them from poking in Adam's life.

"Does he treat you good?" She asked with concern.

"Things are going great, we're taking it slow." She wrapped her fingers around her mug of coffee, bringing it to her lips to take a sip.

"It's nice to see you this happy." Nicole finally smiled tenderly at her little sister.

"Thanks."

"I'd like to meet him." She said casually.

"We are definitely not there yet." She mused as their food arrived. "So? How's Zoe?" Kim guided the conversation away form her relationship with Adam while they ate, wanting to keep some part of her love life a mystery to everyone but herself. They laughed together as Nicole told Kim what Zoe had been up to lately and after sending Adam the picture Chloe had taken of them, she spent the rest of the day with Nicole, her husband and Zoe before having to grab dinner with Chloe and getting a good night sleep, knowing that she had to pack a bit before having to leave on a flight to Paris next.

Adam slipped into his apartment and changed out of yesterday's clothes before he left again, heading to his father's house. He had a spring to his step and a constant grin on his face. Spending the night at Kim's and talking about family and where their relationship was going gave him hope. She was the first one in a long time to come into his life that he actually wanted to spend all of his time outside of work and he wasn't intending on screwing it up. He parked in front of his father's house and cut the engine, removing his shades. His dad's house was the same as when he was a kid and Adam had great memories there. His dad was most likely to be in the yard so he made his way around back and found his dad working on a new cabinet.

"Hey pop." He smiled when his dad noticed him.

"You made it son." He pulled Adam into a hug.

"I wasn't sure I'd make it this week." Adam admitted. "I've been busy."

"Well I know it wasn't on a case so who's the girl?" He set his tools aside and leaned against his work bench, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You got coffee in here?" He changed the subject.

"Oh no son." Robert Ruzek pushed himself off of the work bench. "You are not getting out of this discussion but we can have coffee while you tell me about that girl." He chuckled, pulling Adam inside of the house.

"Come on dad, can we not do this right now?"

"You don't to come in here with that grin on your usually broody face and expect me to believe it has nothing to do with a girl so you are going to sit your ass down and you are going to tell me all about her."

"Fine." He grumbled as he sat down and accepted the cup of coffee his father was offering him. "You remember that case I went to New York to help the SVU team solve?"

"Yeah and I heard great things from over there about you." He took a sip of the hot liquid and waited for Adam to continue.

"I met her on the flight there as it was delayed and then we talked." He smiled, taking his own sip of his coffee.

"Am I really going to need to pull the information out of you or are you going to spill the whole thing without me poking and prodding?"

"You know, I didn't even tell Liv what I'm about to tell you because I know she's patient, at least more patient than you." He grunted.

"I haven't seen you with that kind of smile in a long time and I just want to know more about the young woman, is that too much to ask?"

"Ok, I'll spill." He took another sip of his cup of coffee before continuing. "Her name is Kimberly and she hates that name so it's just Kim." He chuckled, remembering that first time at the bar in the airport. "She's smart and beautiful and it's easy with her." He shrugged. "She has an older sister and when she talks about her niece Zoe, her eyes light up and I can see that's what makes her the most happy on any given day."

"Does she live in Chicago?"

"She does actually but she's leaving town tomorrow."

"And how does that make you feel?" Robert saw the dark cloud cross his features.

"I already hate it but it's her job, I can't ask her to give that up. And she wouldn't expect me to stop doing what I do either."

"She sounds like a keeper." Adam didn't reply, the clogs in his head turning at the prospect. "When you're both ready, bring her over for dinner."

"Yeah, when we're ready." He looked back down in the cup he was now holding with both hands.

"Why do I have a feeling that one of you is already there and the other one isn't?"

"I'm not sure that either of us are ready but we were talking about Liv and the kids and she casually through in that she'd have to pick your brain about Jackson and I being so much alike, even as kids and I don'T know, I just froze."

"Let me tell you something son." Adam nodded, waiting for his father to continue. They rarely talked about emotional stuff so he was treating on new territory. "I know that your mother and I weren't the best example of a healthy relationship but you can't let that stop you from having something amazing with Kim."

"But what if I screw it up?"

"You love more fiercely than anyone I know and even though your mother and I probably shattered any hope you probably had to find someone good, there's no way in hell you can screw this up if there's honesty and I can already see it in your eyes even if you'll probably deny it, love."

"Pop, no, we're not there." He assured him

"YET." He smirked at his son. "You're not there yet but I know love when I see it and it's written all over your face."

"Fine, I'll bring her around when she's ready."

"And I promise to be on my best behaviour."

"Yo Ruzek, you in here?" Both Ruzek men turned as Atwater poked his head through the kitchen door.

"Kevin Atwater." Robert stood up. "Always good to see you in this neck of the woods." He extended his hand and Kevin shook it.

"Always a pleasure Sir."

"Come on son, what did I tell you?"

"To call you Bob." He said sheepishly. "You might have to tell me one more time." He chuckled this time.

"His mama raised him right." Adam pushed his cup away and stood.

"You ain't answering your phone, boss wants us to go in, we got a case."

"I'll catch you later pop. Thanks for the coffee."

"And remember what I said."

"I will. Come on, let's go." They walked out of the house and were about to get in their separate cars until Atwater stopped him.

"Leave it here, I'll drop you back off later." Adam pocketed his keys and he took shotgun in Kevin's car. "So, how'd your evening and morning go with Kim?"

"Nevermind Kim. How'd it go with Chloe?" Kevin wasn't going to poke through his relationship today.

"It went great." He smirked. "We spent the evening at Molly's and I dropped her off at her place."

"You're telling me that you didn't use the Atwater charm to find your way into her bed?"

"My mama raised me right." He threw his head back in laughter. "But I did use the charm at lunch and there was some kissing before we were so rudely interrupted."

"That's my man. Come on let's get this scene over with and grab some dinner later."

"Sounds like a plan. But you ain't getting out of giving your partner the goods on last night with your little lady." Kevin put the car to a full stop and got out.

"Good luck with that." He had spilled enough in one day.

"We'll see when you got a few drinks in ya." Kevin walked away from the car laughing as Adam took a few seconds to recover before following behind, ready to get this things over and done with.

**Two months later.**

"Calm down brother, you'll get to see her soon enough." Atwater was trying to calm down his best friend as they made it through the throngs of people at O'Hare.

"I haven't seen her in two months and we've barely talked either since we've been swamped." Adam grumbled.

"She'll be here soon enough." He said as they made it to the arrival screens. Adam's eyes scanned the different screens and couldn't find Kim's flight on any of them.

"What the hell?"

"I don't see their flight."

"Neither do I."

**Attention passengers waiting to board flight AA-406 in destination of Paris. Due to some technical difficulties with the plane, your flight has been pushed by a few hours. Please present your boarding passes at gate number 5 for further instructions.**

Adam and Kevin listened carefully to the message and as soon as they heard the flight number, Adam went in a pissy mode.

"God damn it." He pulled his phone out and tried texting Kim.

"I'm sure everything is alright." He clapped a hand on his shoulder in support, wishing time would hurry up.

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**A/N: So Adam and Kim seeing each other has been delayed a while longer. I wanted to show Disco Bob under another angle in this story so we'll see him a bit more down the line. I hope you guys liked it and please leave a review before you go, it always means the world to me - Sarra**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my imagination**

**A/N: I want to thank everyone who left a review on the previous chapter, it's always appreciated. Alright so I know it's been a couple of weeks since I posted the last chapter but my life is still crazy with a family medical situation, making it hard to find time to write but I can finally post the next one. Enjoy!**

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Not receiving a text back from Kim, Adam started pacing like a caged lion. These types of intercom calls were never good omens and they usually ended in someone's life being threatened either in a hostage or health crisis and he didn't like either scenarios.

"Ruz, stop pacing, Kim will call you back."

"Has Chloe called you back?" He countered and the look on Kevin's face gave him his answer. "How often do these things end well anyways?"

"Don't you dare think like that." Kevin growled. He was always the more mellow of the two but right now he was getting increasingly irritated with his best friend for thinking the worst. "I'm sure they're just busy and can't answer their phones."

"Let's hope you're right." Adam grumbled and resumed his pacing, hoping for an answer fromKim in the next five minutes. "Anything?" Kevin looked at his phone and shook his head. "That's it, I'm going to find out what the hell is going on." He walked with determination towards gate number five just like the overhead message said and found a long of passengers but he pulled the badge from his belt and made his way towards the front. "Adam Ruzek, Chicago PD." The girl at the counter looked at him and excused herself from the passenger that was in front of her.

"What can Ido for you officer?"

"Can Ispeak with one of your supervisors please?" He asked politely and as the girl was about to answer, an older woman made their way towards them.

"It's okayAmanda, I'll take care of it."

"Thank youAmanda." Adam smiled at the girl who returned it with a polite smile of her own.

"My name isJennifer Stanley, what can I do for you officer?"

"Detective Ruzek and this is my partner Detective Atwater." They extended their hand for her to shake. "Two of your flight attendants, Kimberly Burgess and Chloe McCraw are on the flight AA-406."

"That is correct. Are they in any trouble?"

"They are family and we wanted to know what was going on."

"A patient became erratic mid-flight and they had to touch down in Montreal in order to resolve the situation."

"Were any of the crew or passengers injured during the situation?" Adam tried to keep the worry out of his voice for both his and Kevin's sake.

"Some minors crapes but other than that, nothing serious." She assured them. "We are waiting confirmation from the plane concerning their departure so if I were to guess, they should be here in the next four hours or so."

"Thank you Mrs. Stanley." They both shook their hands and let her return to taking care of the passengers. "They better hope to hell the girls are fine." Adam growled under his breath as they walked away.

"I'm sure the girls are fine. Hang in there brother." Kevin clapped him on his shoulder as he followed behind him.

Kim looked at her watch while she was getting the refreshing cart ready. She couldn't wait to touch down, Adam waiting for her there. He had been working on cases and doing stake-outs with Kevin like crazy these past two months, giving them little to no time to talk together. He had promised to keep them locked up for the week end to spend quality time together and she was looking forward to it.

"Time won't go by any faster by looking at your watch every two seconds Kimmy." Chloe laughed as she watched Kim look at her watch for the tenth time in five minutes.

"I know you're just as excited to see Kevin as I am to see Adam." Kim grumbled. "And don't call me Kimmy."

"Oh no."Chloe chuckled. "You and Adam are on a whole other level than Kevin and I."

"Are not."

"Oh honey."She pulled her in for a side hug. "You and Adam are so far gone that I wouldn't be surprised if he told you the L word when you get back."

"Oh we're definitely not there." She tried pulling away from Chloe.

"Yes you are but you are too scared to admit it my friend." She kissed her cheek and rolled her own cart with food in it. Kim waited a few minutes before pushing her own, wanting to give Chloe time to give a few snacks out first. After serving her fist passenger with food, Kim raised her head to look what was going on, her ears getting shouts ahead. She put the breaks on her cart and squeezed her way around it to see what was going on.

"I SAID I WANTED YOU TO LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE." The man was screaming as Chloe tried to reason with him.

"Can I help you with something sir?" Kim placed a hand on Chloe's forearm so she could know she was there.

"WHAT CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND? STOP THESE DAMN SCREAMING KIDS!" Kim knew that the only kids that were on the flight were too far away for their voices to float all the way towards this passenger so clearly something else was going on.

"Sir. The kids are all the way over there. We'll ask them to quiet down and that way you'll be able to enjoy the rest of your flight." Kim smiled at him but no sooner had the words left her lips that the man was up pulling Kim to him by the arm, twisting it so he held her in a choke hold, one hand against her shoulder and the other around her wrist that was squeezed between her back and his chest.

"Sir, please, let her go." Chloe was terrified. "We can talk about this Sir, move your seat up front, it doesn't have to be like this." She insisted, trying to calm her nerves so the rest of the passengers wouldn't panic more than they already were. "Please, sir." She was practically begging, only wanting Kim out of harms way. For a small moment, Chloe could see him release his hold on Kim in the slightest and seconds later, a man came from behind and the man was suddenly face first into the seat and another member of the crew was restraining him. Chloe was immediately at Kim's side. "Kim, are you okay?" Chloe's eyes were giving her a once over.

"Yeah, Chloe, I'm fine." Kim was breathing hard no matter how many deep breaths she took.

"You girls better get settled in, we're going to land in Trudeau Airport in Montreal. The authorities will be waiting for us there and then it's back to Chicago."

"Thanks Max." Chloe took Kim by the arm and gently guided her towards the front of the plane. "Everything is going to be fine. We'll be home in no time."

"Yeah." She rubbed her wrist. " I can't wait to get this day over." The captain announced their descent and the whole thing would finally be over in a few hours time.

Adam was going out of his mind. Three hours had passed already and still there was no sign that Kim's flight was touching down soon. He knew it was in flight but it was taking too long for his liking.

"Don't make me have to get you out of here Ruzek." Kevin warned him as he watched him pace, his patience holding by a meek thread.

"I'm fine."

"You're far from it. When that plane touches down, you are going to take Kim and spend the week-end locked away in your apartment and tell that girl that you love her."

"Yes. What? No!" He stopped pacing as soon as his brain caught on with what Kevin was saying.

"Ruz, my man." He put both hands on Adam's shoulders with a chuckle. "Stop trying to deny it. You are in love with Kim Burgess so just tell her." Adam gave a nervous chuckle.

"Yeah, yes, you're right." It was no use denying it any longer.

**Attention all passengers for flight AA-406. We will commence boarding in about an hour, please return to gate number 5.**

"Come on, let's go get our girls and get out of here." They walked through the terminals for the arrivals and waited.

It was one of the only flights coming in so the section of the airport was empty except the families of the passengers. When the passengers started going through the gate, Adam started rubbing his hands together, the stress being replaced with a sudden sense of excitement.

"You're so whipped brother." Kevin threw his head back in laughter as he watched Adam barely stand still.

"Shut up." He landed a punch on Kevin's shoulder but only got a more booming laugh coming from his best friend.

"It's a beautiful thing to watch." Kevin kept his eyes peeled on the door too, looking forward to spend some time with Chloe too. Kevin had promised her a dinner in the best steak house in Chicago with a quiet evening at home after since she had to drive up to see her parents in Milwaukee. All the passengers were out now and Adam became even more nervous while they waited for the airline staff to come out.

Kim was more than thankful to get off of this flight. They had averted most of it but it had taken a little bit of force and it would show later.

"I won't say that's sad to see this one over and done with." Kim sighed as Chloe walked next to her.

"Neither am I but are you sure you're okay Kim?" Chloe was worried about her friend even if she was still sporting her smile.

"Nothing that a little time with Adam won't fix." She assured her.

"And look who's waiting for you." They crossed the threshold and found both Kevin and Adam next to each other, waiting for them.

Kim's lips broke into a smile when her eyes locked with his and she sent him a wink, prompting him to make his way towards her.

"I will catch you in a week." Chloe chuckled when she didn't get an answer from her friend. She had eyes for only Adam and that was okay with her.

"Looks like we no longer exist." Chloe smiled when Kevin pulled her close.

"Trust me, the rest of world won't exist for the next two days." He leaned down and kissed her. "Ready to get out of here?" He asked her as he took her carry-on.

"Yeah. I just want to take a shower and do nothing until dinner."

"How about I drop you off?"

"Sounds good to me because my ride is no longer available it seems." Chloe couldn't contain her laugh as Adam and Kim displayed their PDA in the middle of the airport. They walked out hand in hand, leaving their two friends for some well earned alone time.

Adam's feet moved of their own accord as soon as Kim's lips curved into a smile. He needed to have her in his arms but as soon as she was close enough, he cupped her cheeks and his lips were on hers. The kiss was short but he put all of his feelings in it.

"Welcome home darling." He pressed his forehead to hers.

"Thanks." She smiled at him.

"Are you okay?" He looked her up and down.

"Yeah I'm good. How about we get out of here?" Just being close to him like this increased her breathing.

"Hell yeah." He slid his hand to hers so he could take her suitcase.

"Adam, I can bring my own things." She chuckled.

"Not today." He took it when she relinquished control of it and linked his fingers through hers. "And you need to relax so we are going to my place and I am going to take care of you all week end." He kissed her one more time before they walked back towards the exit.

"No interruptions?"

"Better not or I'll have to commit murder." He could only hope that nothing major would happen for Homicide to have to be called because as much as it was for her, this time was for him. He had been scared until he could have eyes on her and until he could be assured that no scratch was on her, he wouldn't be at ease. The drive back to his place was mostly spent in silence, Adam's hand resting on Kim's lap while she looked at the passing view. He wasn't sure if her silence was a good or bad thing but he didn't want to press her for information so he let it be for the time being.

Kim snapped out of the fog she was in when Adam's truck stopped in front of his building. She hopped out of the truck and waited for Adam who was grabbing her luggage. "I'm glad to be back home." She mused out loud.

"You have no idea how happy that you're back."

"Maybe you can show me later." She pulled him inside as he unlocked the door.

"Oh I'll definitely show you later." He pulled her close to him and crashed his lips on hers as he kicked the door closed. "How about I run you a hot bath and fix us something to eat?"

"That sounds amazing. Thanks baby."

"Anything for you." He kissed her again and disappeared in the bathroom, running a hot bath, putting bubbles in. He found her in his room, going through her suitcase for some clothes to wear, deciding on the last clean pair of sleeping shorts and sweater that were still there. When she returned to the bathroom, he had already disappeared in the kitchen so she started stripping down from her uniform. Her shoulder hurt from the movement of pulling the cami she always wore under her blouse and she placed it next to the tub to pick up later. "Kim, darling." Adam walked into the bathroom and his question caught in his throat when his eyes fell on the bruise on her wrist.

"Adam." She turned on the spot to face him and his eyes moved to the bruise on her shoulder.

"What happened?" He was rooted in his spot, a quiet anger bubbling under his skin.

"It's okay Adam, I'm fine." She took a step forward and took his hands in hers.

"It's not okay." His other hand took hold of her wrist and he rubbed his thumb on the purple skin. "Tell me what happened."

"There was a passenger that became aggressive on the flight and we had to touch down in Montreal where the police were waiting to detain him."

"He shouldn't have been able to put his hands on you."

"It was either me or Chloe and I couldn't let him do that so I moved her out of the way just in time for his outburst."

"I love you for being such a great friend but I don't ever want you to be hurt in the process."

"I promise I'll be more careful." He raised her hand and placed a gentle kiss on the bruised skin.

"Come on, let's get you in the water." He took a step back.

"Join me." She raised her good hand to his shirt as he released her wrist so she could undo his shirt and push it off his shoulders. They finished undressing each other and Adam stepped in the tub, holding his hand out to help Kim and they lowered each other in the water and Adam pulled her against his chest. Kim settled her head against his shoulder and enjoyed the kissed he left against her temple.

Adam's heart was thundering in his chest in a mix of anger and excitement as Kim just breathed in and out against him. He was mad that she had been hurt by that passenger but ever so thankful to have her in his life.

"I love you." He whispered against her ear and he felt Kim stiffen slightly before relaxing against him again. She pushed herself from his chest and turned to face him.

"I love you too."Her lips were merely centimetres away from his. "I've given myself the right to be happy and that's how being with you makes me feel." She kissed his lips softly. "I want to hold on tight to that feeling for as long as you'll let me." She kissed him again.

"Be ready to be stuck with me for the rest of your life then." His fingers pressed into her hips as he pulled her flush against his chest, deepening the kiss. They enjoyed a languid kiss until they were breathless and Adam pulled her back against his chest again as they enjoyed the warm water, ready to enjoy their week-end alone.

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**A/N: So there was some angst there for both Adam and Kim but they ended up admitting their feelings to each other. I really hope you guys liked it and please take a few seconds to review before you go, it's always appreciated. - Sarra**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who left a review on my last chapter, it means the world to me. I know that I haven't updated this since going on vacation in March but I have been writing some of it a little bit since so here is the next chapter.**

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Adam stirred and a warm presence next to him snuggled into his side. He smiled at the thought of the previous night with Kim where they had said they loved each other and he couldn't believe how lucky he was. He pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and simply watched her sleep. He knew she was probably close to being awake but he figured he'd seize the moment while he could. She was already scheduled back in the air after the week end so he wanted to make the most of it.

"Morning." She mumbled in his chest.

"Morning. How are you feeling?" His fingers were gently rubbing against the marred skin of her wrist.

"I'm fine Adam. If I have pain anywhere it's in my muscles after last night." She giggled, burying her face in his chest.

"It was fun wasn't it?" He shifted under her so he could face her.

"More like mind blowing." She shifted her leg so she could run it against his calf. "And I'm more than ready for round two this morning." She pushed herself closer to him and kissed him. He cupped her cheeks and pushed his tongue past her lips, making her moan.

"You drive a very hard bargain." He pinned her under the weight of his body.

"Are you looking to buy?"

"Hell yeah." He slid his hands under her thighs and raised her higher in bed, his lips finding her neck, her hands tangling in his hair as his hands slid along the skin of her legs, making her shiver. They took their time undressing each other as they made out, the vibrating phone on Adam's nightstand going un-noticed. He made love to her slowly, needing to take her all in before she left again. They came together and Kim welcomed Adam's weight on her as they caught their breaths.

"I hate it when you have to go." His breathing was still heavy.

"I hate it too." Their quiet moment was interrupted by some heavy banging on his door.

"What the fuck?" He pushed himself from Kim and his bed and slipped on a pair of briefs before heading to his front door.

"Come on Ruzek, I know you're in there." Kevin's voice accompanied the banging.

"You've got to be fucking me right now." He growled as he opened the door roughly. "What the hell Atwater?" His friend simply pushed past the open door.

"I've been calling you for thirty minutes, Sarge is pissed."

"Pissed for what?" He blocked Kevin's view from the bedroom where Kim was still lying in bed, listening to the outburst between the two friends.

"We got a heater and your ass is still home."

"Yeah, still home on my fucking week end off."

"Dead people don't take week-ends off. Get dressed and meet me at the damn car." He huffed. "Sorry Burgess." He said off handed as he left Adam's apartment to wait for him outside.

"Fuck." Adam cursed loudly and went for his phone where he found a dozen missed calls from Atwater and a very angry voicemail from his Sargent to get his ass on the scene before he found himself without a job.

"I'll let myself out." Kim was already out of bed and getting dressed.

"Don't." He walked to her after slipping some jeans on. "Take your time, eat breakfast." He kissed her.

"Adam, I can't." She insisted, knowing he had to hurry up.

"Sure, you can." He leaned down and kissed her. "There's a spare key hanging by the door. Just take your time and relax, I'll call you when I'm done?"

"Okay." She kissed him back. "Please be careful."

"Promise." He kissed her quickly and finished getting dressed before clipping both his star and gun to his belt, kissing her one last time before leaving and heading out to Kevin's car.

"Don't do anything stupid." She whispered to the empty space. If his Sargent was so mad, it meant it was a big case and those rarely went well. She slipped into a hot shower, trying to keep his worries at bay. She was really hoping for a smooth sailing case for them, as smooth as a crime scene could get.

"Where the hell have you been?" They were greeted by their Sargent.

"Disconnecting for the week-end." Adam answered curtly and Kevin snorted, only getting a death glare from both the Sargent and Adam.

"Well reconnect because we have a hot one." He left it at that and walked Adam through the crime scene.

Kim let the water wash over her sore muscles but she would take this kind of sore muscles any given day. Her last flight had been stressful enough and Adam had done everything to help her relax and it had worked. She used his body wash to clean herself and when the water started to cool down, she turned the water off and grabbed a towel from the hook and wrapped it around her chest. She simply ran her hands through her wet hair, opting for leggings and a shirt to relax in while Adam was on the case. She made waffles for breakfast and found something good to watch on tv.

"Come on Ruz, let's get you checked out." Kevin was holding most of Adam's body weight as he limped towards the ambo.

"I'm fine." He grumbled even though his ribs were hurting like crazy.

"That's an order Ruzek, ambo, NOW." Sargent Walker pressed.

"Sure thing Sarge." He rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"I saw that Ruzek." Walked hollered back without actually looking back at him.

"I've taken worst beatings in my life." He was arguing with Kevin again as he sat him down in the ambo.

"Trust me, the real beating is going to happen when Kim sees your sorry ass."

"She's fine, she knows the risks." He assured him.

"Your breathing is ragged and I hear something in your lungs. We're taking you to Med."

"Great, more tests." He grumbled but did as he was told.

"I'll be right behind you Ruz." Kevin shut the ambulance door and gave them a tap before the rig left towards the hospital. When Kevin arrived, Adam was already getting his pictures done so Kevin waited in treatment room 4 where April had sent him, waiting for his partner to come back. He limped back in the room, sitting on the bed. "So, what they say?"

"Well they said I have to wait for the doctor but seems like a few cracked ribs, cuts, bruises."

"You were lucky." Dr Choi walked in with his images.

"Luck has nothing to do with this." He chuckled, the pain stopping him mid-sentence. "I got my big man that has my back, I'm good." They did their handshake.

"If it hadn't been for that luck and that big man, we'd be having a very different discussion and more than three cracked ribs Detective."

"When can I go back to work?" He sat on the side of the bed with a lot of discomfort.

"Not today."

"When?"

"When the pain is completely gone." He gave Adam his I pad to look at the X-Ray images. Those three lines are the cracks. We can't go anything to fix them in the traditional sense so I'm going to give you some painkillers and tell you to get a lot of rest."

"Any chance you sign off on desk duty?" One thing Adam hated was sitting at his desk, but he hated staying home more. Kim was leaving the following day and the thought of being alone all day everyday was an even worst thought than being assigned to his desk.

"I could do that, but you need to understand Adam that this will hurt like hell later, even more than it is now and your movements will be limited."

"I'll be fine doc." He buttoned his shirt back up. "We good here?" He stood, ready to get the hell out.

"Be back in a few minutes with your prescription and you're good to go."

"I'm telling you Ruz, Kim will kill you when I get you back."

"You worry too much." Talking and breathing hurt like a bitch but Adam figured that it would fade in a few hours.

"And you too little."

"Here you go." Ethan handed Adam a paper and he left with Kevin. Every move he made hurt and sitting down in Kevin's car sent a shockwave through his body but he schooled his features so no one would notice the pain he was in.

"I'm good Kev, thanks for the ride." One thing Adam didn't want was for Kevin de add his grain of salt to what happened, so he tried to stop him from coming into his place.

"No way, I'm going up." He killed the engine with a smirk and got out of the car, following behind Adam. Adam felt like he was about to die as he walked up the stairs to his place. He had gotten a few injuries since being on the job, but this took the cake if he said so himself. HE unlocked his front door and let himself in.

"Kim, darlin, you here?" The place was far too quiet for his liking.

"Hey, I didn't expect you." Her sentence died on her lips when she looked up and took in Adam's appearance. "Oh my God, Adam!" There was some dried-up blood at his hairline and his left eye was rimmed with red, no doubt from being assaulted by an offender.

"I'm okay." He tried to stop her assault of his body for any other injury by grabbing her gently by the wrists.

"You're definitely not okay Adam." She pulled out of his grasp.

"I'm fine, just a few bruises." Both he and Kim turned at the sounds of Kevin's snort. "Something you want to add?" Adam questioned him through gritted teeth.

"The perp got his ass handed to him, that's all."

"We're good here Kev." Adam insisted, really wanting his friend to get going before he made things even worst for him.

"Alright, I know when I'm not wanted." He leaned over and kissed Kim's cheek. "Go easy on him."

"Thanks for bringing him back in one-piece Kev." She smiled back at him before he took his leave.

"Bedroom, NOW." Kim was trying desperately not to lose it and be that kind of girlfriend, but she knew that Adam wasn't being forthcoming, and she wanted to see for herself the extend of the damage.

"Darling, I'm fine." He followed her out to his room and took a seat, Kim standing directly in front of him.

"Define fine because you ought to tell that to your face."

"It's just a black eye and small laceration. Not the last time you'll see those two." Her fingers were dancing over the first button of his flannel shirt.

"I know you're lying." She took the first button out of its hole, Adam not even stopping her. He knew he had to tell her the truth and he heard Kevin's voice in his head saying I told you so. He let her undo his shirt, kneeling down in front of him as she reached the last one. They looked each other in the eye and Kim pushed his shirt open gently, Adam wincing at the delicate gesture, the pain in his body flaring up. Kim's eyes fell to Adam's chest and with the sharp intake of breath she took, he knew his left side was most likely filled with bruises. "Damn Adam, what happened?" She questioned when she found her voice.

"I got jumped from behind, he caught be off guard and it took some time before Kevin pulled him off of me."

"What did the doctor say?" His silence spoke volumes, but she needed to know. "Adam, what did the doctor say?"

"Three cracked ribs and some bruising. He gave me some pills to manage the pain since there isn't much more that he can offer in terms of treating it." He took her slightly shaking hand in his. "It's going to be ok."

"You're not going back to work like that are you?"

"Doc doesn't recommend it but said I'm good for desk duty if I can manage the pain."

"It's hurting now isn't it?"

"Like a bitch." He admitted.

"Did you take the pills?"

"Not yet."

"Come on. You're coming with me." She helped him rise to his feet and he walked slowly in the direction of the bathroom with her. She filled up a glass of water and forced him to down a pill before turning the shower on. She helped him strip down when she saw him hiss in pain and they stepped under the mist together and Kim helped him get washed, removing the blood that was also caked on his ribcage from where he had been kicked repeatedly. She needed to make sure he was play, more for herself than for him and she forced him into bed where she brought him some food to eat.

"I think I'm going to call to cancel myself on tomorrow's flight." Kim slipped under the blankets on his side of the bed since he had taken hers because of his ribs.

"Absolutely not." Adam was not going to let her so that.

"You'll need some help Adam." She argued.

"I'll be fine." He sighed. "Kim, baby. This isn't the first time I get a beating and survived to tell about it."

"I know that Adam, but I need to do it."

"I know this scares you, but it certainly won't be the last time that something like that happens on the job." He linked his fingers with hers. "I love you darling and thank you for wanting to do this, but I need you to get back on that plane tomorrow and work. You definitely don't want to be here to witness what an injury does to me." He chuckled but thought better of it as pain radiated through his ribs. "I'll be an ass to you and everybody else so unless you want to be ready to leave me, I need you to be in the air tomorrow."

"I definitely am NOT ready to leave you so yes; I'll get back to work in the morning." She laughed.

"Good. Thank you." He turned through the pain and kissed her. "Let's just hang out in here tonight and enjoy being together before you have to go yeah?"

"Alright, yeah." She helped him lie down completely and slipped beside him, placing her head on his chest. "I love you."

"I love you too." He kissed the top of her head and they spent the rest of the evening just talking and relaxing, knowing they'd have to deal with Adam's injury, their first real trial in their relationship."

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**A/N: So Adam gets injured for the first time since being with Kim. How will she cope with him injured and her being so far away from him? I really hope you guys liked this chapter and please leave a review before you go, your thoughts mean everything to me. - Sarra**


	9. Pushing boundaries

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my imagination.**

**A/N: Thank you so much to everyone quo reviewed last chapter. I really love reading all reviews, warms my heart. So How is Adam's injury going to affect his blooming relationship with Kim? Find out how.**

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The first few days after Kim had left had been like torture. He couldn't sleep on the side that he usually did because the pain was ten times worst that way and sleeping on his back whole nights at a time did nothing for his mood. He was dragging his body through his place and nothing he did made the pain better. Kim was due back in two more days and the fact that he couldn't go pick her up because driving was as painful as the rest of the actions he did was actually working the very last nerve he had. He was grabbing himself a beer and a pizza slice when the doorbell rang.

"Come in." He yelled, not even bothering to go answer the door. He was pretty sure it was Kevin coming to knock some sense into him because he hadn't answered any texts or calls in the last day or so.

"What the hell are you doing dawg?

"Ignoring your sorry ass, what does it look like?" He went for the couch and sat down painfully, putting his food on the table and turning up the volume of the TV. He knew he was bad company and didn't want to inflict it on anyone else so he simply tuned them out.

"Well you're failing miserably cuz I'm here."

"Yup."

"Chloe called me because Kim's worried and wants to know how you're doing because you haven't been picking up your phone."

"Maybe she'll throw my sorry ass to the curve because she sure as hell doesn't deserve to have this version of me."

"That's bullshit Ruz and you know it."

"I told her she wouldn't want to see me like this."

"And yet she's worried about your sorry ass. That should tell you something."

"What do you want from me Kev?" Adam sighed, already done with this discussion.

"I want you to stop running dawg. That girl loves you and you love her and she's going to have to see the bad side of you eventually. You can't keep hiding from that."

"Why do you have to be the god damn voice of reason?"

"Because we all know I'm the brains of this operation."

"I've got the looks so we're the perfect team." Kevin scoffed at the attempt at humor.

"Those drugs must be playing with your brain." He laughed. "Just give her a call." Kevin stood from Adam's couch.

"And grovel until she forgives me for being a total dick?"

"Pretty much yeah." Kevin laughed.

"Thanks brother."

"Anytime." Kevin took his leave and Adam closed the TV and picked up his phone, dialing Kim. He knew it was late for her being in Paris and all but figured that delaying it would no doubt make her worry more. He took as deep a breath as he could and he heard a click on the other side of the line

**Adam. **He knew he had just woken her up by the sound of her voice. "Hey darling." He whispered into the phone. **Are you okay? I tried calling but you never answered. **He could hear her shifting in bed as she sat up. "I'm sorry for icing you out**. **Things are really not going the way that I thought they would." **How much pain are you in? **"Too much to be able to have a good night's sleep and I can't even hold you so that's not helping either. **One more night and then I'll be on my way. I'll take a cab to your place when I land. **"At least let me send Kevin." **If he's on a case he won't be able to get away. I'll be okay babe. **"Okay." He'd still tell Kevin about the flight schedule in case Homicide was indeed free. He grunted as he stood from the couch and Kim hissed on the other end of the line, not being able to do anything to help him get through it. **Talk to me until you fall asleep. **"That's not a good idea because you won't get any good sleep." **I don't have anything better to do tomorrow. **She assured him. Adam finally fell asleep faster than either one of them thought and Kim simply ended the call, hoping Adam would get a good night of sleep.

Kevin made it to O'Hare late mid-afternoon and he was hoping to hell Kim wasn't already in a cab to Adam's. He dialed Adam and he answered in two rings.

"Please tell me Kim didn't say she was on her way." Adam told him that she had texted him to say that getting off the plane was a slow process today but to look for her. When he ended the call, he finally saw Kim and Chloe walk through the doors. He smiled at his girl and waited for them. "Your UBER's here." He leaned down and kissed Chloe before pulling Kim in for a hug.

"You didn't have to come Kev, I would have taken a cab." She insisted.

"No way." They walked towards the door. "Ain't going to let you spend all that money and besides, a cab is too long and that boy is being a down right pain in my ass so the sooner you get there, the better for all of us."

"That bad?"

"It got worse the morning after the two of you talked."

"Shit." She cursed under her breath.

Kim had her mind on Adam as Kevin drove through traffic and she was hoping that her return would be what he needed to at least relax him a bit.

"Cal me if you need help whopping his ass."

"Yeah, thanks Kev." She smiled at him through the window. "I'll call you later." She kissed Chloe on the cheek and she didn't wait for an answer before she started going up to Adam's place. The closer she got to his front door, the clearer she could hear what was going on inside. She was about to knock but she tried the knob instead and it was unlocked so she let herself in. She could hear him cursing life and then a bang against something solid and she jumped before going to see what was going on. "Adam?" He turned at the sound of her voice and smiled when he took her in.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" He pushed past his pain and cupped her cheeks, pressing his lips to hers. "I missed you darling." He leaned his forehead against hers.

"I missed you too. How are you feeling?" She questioned him, looking at his body for proof.

"Like I might murder something, or someone" He admitted. "The pain is barely down and I don't have another appointment for a few days still and I'm out of pain meds."

"I thought rest was all it took. Did something happen?"

"No but the pain isn't getting better and sometimes it flares up."

"Come on, let's get you off your feet. Bed or couch."

"Bed." He hated being on his back but if he could just have her close, on his good side, then he'd feel better than he had been while she was gone.

"I don't want to hurt you." She was kneeling on the side of the bed as he painfully lied down.

"You won't hurt me, come here." She lied down on his good side and placed her cheek against his chest, hearing it beat steadily.

"It's good to be back." She linked a leg on top of his and placed her hand under his shirt, placing it against his heart.

"You have no idea. I'm pretty sure Kevin might be on the verge of killing me and dumping my body down the Chicago River."

"He did mention something about you being a pain in his ass on the way here." She chuckled. "We'll get through the next few days together." She promised him.

"I like the sound of that." He already sounded sleepy and Kim simply stayed there, letting his heartbeat lull her to sleep too. They were home together now and that seemed to settle Adam enough to finally sleep.

When Kim woke up, she realized it was already dark outside but Adam was still sleeping at her side. She pulled herself away slowly, wanting him to get some more quality sleep and she padded towards his kitchen in search of something to cook for him. She found some Advils and some over the counter muscle relaxing pills as she looked in the cupboards and set them aside to help Adam later before she proceeded in making them some sandwiches with what was left in his fridge. She ate hers and when it was obvious Adam wouldn't wake up soon, she wrapped it and put it in the fridge before scribbling him a note and placing it with a glass of water and the pills on his night stand before she hunted for the keys to his Tahoe and headed to the store for some much needed supplies.

Adam stirred and the pain came back in full force. He was surprised by the hour on his alarm clock but even more surprised by the fact that Kim was no longer in bed with him. HE sat down painfully and saw the note and glass of water. He took a sip as he opened the paper.

_You seemed to be sleeping comfortably so I went out to the store. Take the pills and I left some food for you in the fridge._

_I love you_

_Kim_

"I love you too." He whispered in the darkened bedroom. He did as instructed and downed the pills with the water and went to the kitchen. He found the sandwich in the fridge and sat down with some soda while he waited for Kim to come back. He turned and cursed when he heard the door unlock. He went as fast as his sore body would let him and as soon as Kim pushed the door open, he tried taking a bag from her but she wasn't particularly willing to relinquish her hold on them.

"I can bring them in Adam." She sighed.

"You just spent your money to stock up my fridge, let me at least do that for you." They had already argued over a money issue like that and Adam wasn't willing to get into a fight with her over it but he wanted to help her.

"And you have three cracked ribs." She countered, some annoyance in her tone.

"From which I'll survive." She finally released the bad with a growl.

"You're a piece of work Adam Ruzek." She put the bag on his counter and started emptying its contents, completely ignoring him.

"Come on Kim, please don't be like that." He tried to stop her from moving by having a firm grip on her hips but she turned around in annoyance and a hint of anger in her eyes.

"Don't be like that? Really? You've been a pain in the ass to Kevin since you've been injured, you ignore people for days and you refuse to let me take some of the pressure on you so you can actually rest and heal. Why are you so hell bent on pushing your boundaries like that?"

"Because that's who I am." He didn't intend for it to come out angry but the look in Kim's eyes told him that she wasn't impressed with his tone.

"Well who I am, isn't going to stay here, and wait for you to get worse. I'm going to head home before I say something that I will regret and when you're ready to let me help you, you know where to find me." She stormed past him and closed the door roughly on her way out. She hailed a cab before he had the time to run after her and she headed back to her place to try to calm herself and clear her mind.

Adam wasn't expecting that kind of outburst from Kim but he knew that he deserved every bit of it so he emptied the contents of the bags and tried to find sleep with her tucked into him and in the morning, he would go see her and fix it before he lost her over something so stupid.

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**A/N: So Adam's being an ass and resisting the offer for help, pushing Kim away. Will she let him apologize or will it be too much for her to handle? Please take a few seconds to review before you go, your thoughts mean everything :) Sarra**


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